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Q'umarkaj

Also known as Utatlán

Q'umarkaj, called Utatlán by the Spanish, was the capital of the K'iche' Maya kingdom in the highlands of Guatemala, near modern Santa Cruz del Quiché. Founded in the 15th century on a plateau protected by ravines, it held temples, palaces and a ballcourt. Pedro de Alvarado burned it in 1524 after executing its kings, and its ruins are still used for Maya ceremonies.

Q'umarkaj
Image: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

K'iche' kingdomKaqchikel kingdom

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Q'umarkaj. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/qumarkaj
MLA
“Q'umarkaj.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/qumarkaj. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Q'umarkaj.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/qumarkaj.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Q'umarkaj’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/qumarkaj (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻